I'm new to this site, but really
value the wonderful reflection and dialog I've seen over the past few
weeks of reading. The version of this reading from Luke that I'm using
uses 3 different words to refer to what happens to the leper(s). "as
they were going they were cleansed", "one, realizing he had been
healed", "10 were cleansed, were they not", and finally, "your faith
has saved you." This seems significant to me in that Jesus seems to be
saying "curing your ailments is easy, but to attain everlasting life
is what I want you to focus on." And I see here that what happens is
that the one who is compelled to come to God/ Christ in thanks giving
and of his own will is the one who is saved. Jesus extends the
invitation, provides us strength and encouragement to act, but
ultimately we need to take steps to make it work. I think that in two
weeks I will preach in the area of Gifts from God that we have and
often ignore (don't use) or don't give thanks for. It is often the new
comers, the outcasts, those we might call unbelievers who call our
attention to these gifts and our need to give thanks to God for them.
Thank you for this great forum. Tom in Cleveland
There is an interesting contrast between "duty", "obedience",
"fulfilling the Torah, which is something Jews do well and for which
we must respect. Indeed the Torah is the outward and visible sign of
their relationship/covenant with God.
But in the Samaritan there was something else "gratitude" which
comes from not expecting to be treated the same because of being an
outcast, not sure of one's standing before God. The Samaritan says
thanks for he is overwhelmed by the generosity of God who leaves no
one out of the circle of grace.
tom in ga
A Samaritan leper becomes a model for thanksgiving. This one who was
healed does not take for granted the kindness shown to him but
offers thanks to Jesus and glorifies God.
Conventional wisdom says there aren't many atheists in foxholes. The
same goes, no doubt, for hospital emergency rooms and any place a
newly diagnosed cancer patient collects his or her thoughts. In
times of danger our instincts override whatever theology we may not
affirm, and we hurl toward heaven a plea for mercy.
When disease threatens, we pray for healing, but we really want
cure. Sometimes we get cure, sometimes not, no matter how fervent
our prayers. The patient petitioner always receives healing,
however. Even if disease wins and death comes earlier than we'd
like, turning one's case over to God means we do not die alone, our
humanity crushed. Whether we live in God's care, or die in God's
embrace, we have healing and wholeness.
Ten desperate lepers once begged Jesus for mercy. All ten received
cure. As far as we know, only one found healing. Not only his
disintegrating skin changed, his heart filled with thanks, and he
couldn't help but return to express his praise and gratitude as
directly as he'd once launched cries for help.
A heart full of thanks is a sign of wholeness. It appears often on a
deathbed where cure has never arrived. The teacher says also to that
one, "Go on your way; your faith has made you whole."
For Christians, the secret of this healing story, and all others as
well, lies in the paths crossed out there in the desolate region
where lepers lived out their days. Jesus had set his face toward
Jerusalem. There he would show himself to the priests, who would
judge him unclean, far from whole. He would pray for God's aid, but
he would die broken. Yet, "by his bruises we are healed" (Isa 53.5).
First, though, Jesus sends these ten to Jerusalem and the priests.
If the nine found healing, they got it as Jesus and the Samaritan
did—with arms outstretched in the ancient posture that fits both
crucifixion and thanksgiving.
Frederick Niedner
As in the story of the Good Samaritan, found exclusively in Luke,
this story features a Samaritan. Samaritans were Jews who centred
their faith in Mount Gerizim rather than Jerusalem. Samaritans were
not accepted as "real" Jews by the Jerusalem believers. In one
sense, Samaritans were part of Judaism in that they revered holy
scripture. In another sense, however, they were outside of Judaism
when it is defined as the community of allegiance to Jerusalem and
its authorities. In the case of the man who was robbed and left by
the side of the road, the Samaritan is the only passerby out of
several who extends mercy to the hurt man. The others, who are
officials in the temple, hurry past to their important duties. In
this story, only the Samaritan returns to Jesus to give thanks for
the healing. The others go on to the temple to follow the ritual of
being certified as clean by the priests, which was necessary for
them to be accepted into the life of the community (Lev 14.23). The
temple was not the centre of worship or community for the Samaritan,
and so he does not go there. He does respond faithfully to what has
happened to him, however. He returns to Jesus to give thanks and
Jesus affirms his faithfulness.
A subtle but important detail in the way this passage from Luke is
translated in the New International Version is the reference to "ten
men who had leprosy" instead of the "lepers." In this gospel that
emphasizes seeing or recognizing, this translation asks the reader
to recognize the full humanity of all people, even (or perhaps
especially) those on the margins. Luke invites us to see as God
sees: with mercy for all.
Now here is a strange story. What do we have? 10 Lepers! How may
return to Jesus to give thanks? 1 healed Samaritan! Now there is a
tithe.
Though we are not faced with possessions, money, or mammon, we have
here the heart of the one whose life has been transformed by Christ
and who offers, the freeist gift of all: Gratitude.
I am not sure how this will preach but it is facinating.
tom in ga
physical health does not always mean wellness. the other nine were
made physically well, jesus gave them what they asked.
today the disciples asked for more faith, now these lepers are
asking for mercy. jesus reprimands the apostles telling them they
already have enough faith. this week jesus hears a cry for mercy and
answers it.
could it be that jesus determines our real needs?
i've been preaching stewardship and giving these last weeks.
i see a pattern occuring as jesus makes his way to jerusalem:
be shrewed... be generous... do your work... be thankful... be
persistant in prayer... be honest in prayer...
what is jesus trying to tell us as he makes his way to the cross?
on his way to death, is he giving us the way to live?
God's peace, christine at the shore
Location! Location! Location!
We are on our way to Jerusalem. And here we are in some "no man's
land"! The land between. The in between place. Where "human trash"
lives as a colony of lepers.
This is the place Jesus comes! And turns lepers into humans complete
with restored ethnic identities: no longer "leper x" but "a
Samaritan"!
Glory!
What a great text for a message of THANKFULNESS!
Maybe my points will be...( v.1) Anticipation!!! of
Thanksgiving...(2) v.14 Process!!! of Thanksgiving. ...(3) V.15
Humility!!! of Thanksgiving... ((-or perhaps, Barriers to
Thanksgiving...)) (4) v.19 Blessing!!! of Thanksgiving...
....Galveston Teacher
Galveston Teacher, I think we are neighbors.
So glad i have jumped on reading the post early as I am preaching
for the next few Sundays and really must get back in the sermon
preparing mode. What a great text for the congregation I am
preaching at. A church hurting and we get to hear about healing and
I get to preach about gratitude in the midst of adversity. I have
learned this through our experience. It is much easier to face life
with a thankful heart!!!!! Just beginning Tammy in Texas
ss in PA -
an idea you might adapt is one i got from a friend for last week's
world communion. encourage people to take their shoes off and just
be there at worship with no shoes ... 1/3 of the world does not hve
shoes (something like that). We take our shoes for granted; removing
them, in their absence, reminded us of their usual presence. I
introduced it with the children's sermon and then the children and i
took our shoes off and invited everyone else to do the same. I
preached, did the offering, holy communion, the benediction ...
everything else in the service - shoeless! Shoes are just one thing
we really take for granted.
Health is another = as in the healing of the lepers.
Sally
I'm preaching this week also. Several reflections
What about Jesus response to the leper with gratitude. Does this
give us a picture the Divne's response to gratitude, and a view of
how we should respond?
What experience of the samaritan leper could have lead him to return
with gratitude?
By speculating on the 9 other leper's need to follow procedures
(keeping distance If possibly healed, show themselves to the
priest.), does this give a window to us of the things that can keep
us from gratitude for the blessings from God?
If leprosy then was not the Hansen disease we know today, but
anything that was a possible contamination for the rest of society,
what are today's societal's contaminations i.e., terrorist acts,
gang activities, Bi-polar and other mental states?
Shalom
bammamma
